The invention relates to a tray for a CD or DVD drive and to an auxiliary means for using the tray according to the preamble of the independent patent claim.
Usual CD drives for reading and processing data, audio and video compact disks comprise a tray for loading CDs. This tray has at least one tray base with a rectangular outline. The tray is insertable into the drive into the tray receiver. The tray base is provided with a slot-shaped relief in whose region during the operation, the drive plate may rotate with the centering pin and the read device may move. The tray base comprises a first circular deepening with a diameter which corresponds to the standardised diameter of the usual CDs. This circular deepening forms an accommodation centering for loading a CD. If the CD is loaded, the tray is retracted into the drive, whereupon the drive plate with the centering pin from below advances into the central opening of the CD. Within the first circular deepening there is located a second circular deepening with a smaller diameter which corresponds to the mini-CD standard. Into this second circular deepening there may be applied a mini-CD before the tray is retracted into the drive. These deepenings each form a circumferential shoulder on which the CD comes to bear on loading. By way of this the CD is precentered in the tray so that it may not displace on retraction into the drive and may be correctly acquired by the centering pin and the drive plate. With these drives one may apply all normal CDs and at all events DVDs. Likewise it is possible to play so-called shaped CDs, as compact disks with a special shape, as long as these may with at least three outer edges come to bear on the mentioned shoulders and thus may be loaded in a pre-centered manner. There are also those drive trays which only comprise the first positiong shoulder, but not the second positioning shoulder for mini CDs. These therefore have an approximately continuous first rest surface for the loaded CD.
Recently CDs have appeared on the market with special shapes such as calling cards, hearts and others. These special shapes often have a format which makes it impossible for the three outer lying edges to be able to brought to bear on one of the shoulders. They are usually larger than the diameter of a mini CD and smaller than the diameter of a normal CD.
It is the object of the invention to specify a tray for a CD/DVD drive which permits apart from the known usual round CDs also the precentered insertion of those with special shapes.
This object is achieved as follows : The receiving location is formed by a receiving surface. The receiving surface is provided with a multitude of pin receivers. By way of positioning pins which may be inserted into the pin receivers there are formed bearing edges. Special shapes of CD/DVD may now be precentered and held by the positioning pins until the drive tray is retracted into the drive and the drive is ready for operation.
An additional advantage of the invention is that according to the invention various special shape CDs may be used.